My Beloved Monster
by Oh My Gold
Summary: Written by It'sSoRonksIt'sRight as a prompt challenge. Prompts: "well, well, well; what have we got here Dearie?", burgers, blue, and curtains. Fluff! Rumple comes home to his wife who has attempted to make him dinner. Slightly AU.


_**Author note: This was written by It'sSoRonksIt'sRight after being given the following prompts from Oh My Gold;**_ ** _"well, well, well; what have we got here Dearie?", Burgers, Blue, and curtains. This is the first piece of OUAT fanfiction I have ever written, so I apoligise for the out of characterness of the pair. Also, sorry for any mistakes._**

As Rumple made his way up the garden path to his home he reflected on the events of the last few months. The Imp still couldn't believe that she was his 'until death do them part'. He will never forget the feeling of seeing her walking towards him on the day of their wedding; she wore the biggest smile he'd ever seen, he could only imagine what his own smile looked like. Rumple felt slight butterflies in his stomach at the thought of coming home to his _wife_ ; the thought still felt foreign to him. The day at the shop had been another slow one and he's found himself longing to be home with his wife, in the solace of their home. Soon enough; he was.

"Hello Sweetheart; I'm home." Rumple had stepped into their house, placed his jacket on the coat rack and followed his nose to the kitchen.

"Hey, how was work?" Belle asked as she dried off her hands on a tea towel with and almost contagious smile.

"Slow;" he exhaled before inhaling the glorious infusion of the meal she had no doubt lovingly prepared. "Smells good in here;" he then left a kiss to her hair as he rolled up his sleeves. "How can I help?"

"You've made perfect time actually; I've just dished up dinner;" the brunette gestured to the two plated behind her on the counter.

Rumples eyes lit up as he took in the sight of perfectly crafted hamburgers; "I'll get the ice-tea out of the fridge."

Within a short span of time, the table was set and Rumple was helping his wife with her chair before pouring her a drink. He didn't think he could ever get bored with this role. He was a domesticated man and as proud to be for his Belle.

"This looks delicious, thank you my darling Belle;" Rumple addressed the beautiful woman sat opposite him.

All she could do as smile at him as she felt a slight blush creep up her neck.

He noted her slight discomfort and so chose to change the subject; "how was work?"

"It was good, some of the school children came in with their teacher; I think they are thinking about making it into a permanent thing. I, for one, am very happy about this decision. I couldn't imagine my life without books and I'd hate for the children to be deprived of such an opportunity to become absorbed by a book." As she drew her slight rambling to an end she noticed the look in her husband's eyes; like a glint.

Truth be told, Rumple loved it when his wife's passion for books and literature made an appearance. He would be lying if he were to say that it had nothing to do with how or why he fell in love with her.

"Anyway... can you pass me the mustard please?" Belle attempted to move away from her opinion on books.

As rumple passed her the yellow condiment he brushed his fingers with hers. He still surprised him how after all this time such a simple, innocent touch could elicit the response it had. His heart rate had increased slightly and he could feel the connection between them, his mouth was now dryer than before and he found it hard to catch his breath.

"These burgers are amazing, how did you make them?" Rumple asked his wife as the pair tucked into their dinner.

"You know, just a bit of this and a bit of that; nothing too difficult really;" belle finished by chasing her words with her ice-tea. She hoped to leave the conversation there.

"Well I'd count them as a resounding success;" Rumple portrayed his appreciation by take another health bite of the burger.

"I'm glad you like them;" Belle smiled, hoping he couldn't see through it. Her next task was to distract him from the burger subject; "I got you some raspberry ripple ice-cream for dessert."

"What did I do to ever deserve you... on second thought; don't answer that;" Rumple couldn't help the cheeky grin that grew on his lips.

"You're just lucky it was on offer;" she shared in his smirk.

"I'll wash up;" Rumple informed as he stood and retrieved her plate on the way to the sink.

"You don't have to do that;" Belle protested as she leant against the counter next to the sink.

"Nonsense; you cooked, so I'll clean." Rumple wanted the beautiful woman to know that their arrangement in the dark castle has not and will never be bought forward into their married life here in Storybrooke.

She grasped and lightly squeezed his bicep to convey that she knew what he was doing and was grateful. She also ran her hand up and down his arm a couple times for good measure.

He repeated his action from earlier by leaving another kiss to her hair atop her head. "Why don't you go and settle down in the library, I would be more than a few minutes?" He gently asked as he took in his wife exhausted posture.

"Only as long as you are sure;" Belle only asked out of courtesy. She couldn't think of anything better than curling up in her favourite arm chair in the library with a blanket and a good book.

"Can I get you anything to drink when I'm done here?" Rumple played the part of the indulgent husband so well.

"Surprise me;" She smiled as she walked around him and grazed her arm across his shirt covered back and shoulders with a tired smile.

Once the Imp was alone in their small kitchen he cracked on with the washing up. He was currently stood over the bin scrapping the crumbs from their plates into it when something caught his eye. "Well, well, well; what do we have here Dearie?" He muttered to himself with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Belle had settled in her soft and cosy arm chair when her husband entered the room. She failed to look up at his straight away as she was absorbed in the final few chapters of _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_.

"Belle, Sweetheart? Why are the kitchen curtains in the bin? And why are they decidedly scorched?" He wasn't angry, just curious.

Belle finally drew her attention away from the book in her hands and was greeted by the sight of her husband holding up their green and yes, decidedly scorched curtains. She knew she should have hid them better. "Oh, those... there was a small accident in the kitchen."

"Are you alright?" Rumple was now crouched in front of his wife, with curtains in his lap, holding her face in his hands to draw her eyes to his.

"Of course. It's just that meat pie is a lot harder to make than you think;" Belle defended her actions and her kitchen failure.

Rumple couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from his lips even when she knocked him on the shoulder with the heavy book that had been sat in her lap.

"Don't laugh at me! It had been in the oven all afternoon and the meat was still blue!" Belle insisted she was right.

"I apologise Belle, as long as you are alright; that's all that matters. I just have one question." Rumple rubbed hit thumb across her knuckles as he cradles her hand.

"And what's that?" Belle asked not really wanting to know.

"Were the burgers from Granny's?" He quirked a quizzical brow.

"I'd already had one catastrophe in the kitchen, I wasn't going for a second in the same day;" the brunette concluded as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave a slight pout.

Rumple nodded; "I thought they were."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" She gave him a hard stare.

His features softened in an attempt to make his wife relax. "I meant nothing by it Sweetheart; all I meant was that they reminded me of them."

"No you didn't; you meant that I'm a terrible cook and wife!" This was not the reaction he was looking for.

"I meant no such thing;" he assured as he squeezed her hand.

"It's these modern appliances; I don't know how they work;" Belle seemed to have calmed down slightly.

"I can show you, if you'd like;" Rumple suggested relieved that she had come around so quickly.

She nodded eagerly with tears in her eyes. She pulled his hand that was clasping hers to her and laid it flat on her barely distended stomach. "Then I can bake with this little one."

Rumple still couldn't believe that he was going to be a father again, even though nothing could ever replace Baelfire or make up for the loss he feels for him, to have a baby with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon, was something he couldn't put into words.


End file.
